Uzumaki Naruto: One man army
by DoMi-KuN
Summary: AU: five years after Minato's dead the sandaime realises he has to take drastic measures to insure the saftey of Konoha. Smart and trained Naruto.
1. Shadow of the great tree

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Shadow of the great tree

Next to the mountain portraying the Hokage's faces his office had the best view over the village. Ever since he became Hokage he loved watching the people go about their business. People smiling, children playing without a single care in the world. They didn't realize what kind of sacrifices where made to give them their freedom. Naruto however had done his share of sacrificing since the day he was born. Because it was that day he was given the job of keeping the Nine-Tails from destroying their village. And up until now it hadn't been a thankful job. The villagers and even some shinobi did anything in their power to make the boy miserable. Going as far as sabotaging his studies at the academy.

Naruto had been in the academy for six months, the rapport he had been given on his progress was a disgrace. There was nothing positive in the document, even the worst student would have some quality, according to the academy teachers Naruto didn't have any quality. And although he had always wanted Naruto to have a normal childhood he wasn't naïve, a normal childhood would mean a family, friends and some form of respect for his sacrifice, things Naruto didn't have.

He knew in his heart drastic measures needed to be taken. Ever since he had retaken his position as Hokage he had become weak. His body was deteriorating and for the last five years in his leadership was pathetic. The council was constantly opposing him, and through his weakness they became more powerful. This was not why the Nidaime created the civilian council, he wanted to give the civilians a place to give their opinion on village matters. But what had they become? Infatuated with their power, they used their political power only for themselves, they didn't care for the civilians in there district. The only thing that mattered was power and money, backstabbing snakes the whole lot of them.

He had been devastated by the dead of the love of his life during the Kyuubi's attack. She was so beautiful and headstrong. If you could see what I have become Biwako you would be disgusted. He could not change the past, but he would do anything in his power to create a better Konoha, a place that would make his predecessors proud.

There were many things that he needed to fix, one of them was the situation of Uzumaki Naruto. That is why his former rival was sitting across his desk. They hadn't agreed on anything for decades but that didn't matter this was village business.

"I know you are a busy man so ill keep it short. I need your help with something Danzo." It surprised him, but he didn't show it. In all the years of being Hokage his friend Hiruzen had never asked him for help.

"I am yours to command, Hokage-sama. Always." They were words he had to say, and so he said them.

"Those years we spent training under Hashirama-sensei and Tobirama-sensei... Kami, those were good years." The Hokage said trying to gauge Danzo's reaction, he found nothing.

"As you said I'm a very busy man. Besides I'm sure you didn't bring me here to reminisce about the old days Hiruzen." The Hokage threw back his head and laughed. "You never change Danzo even after all these years." The hokage replied while shaking his head. "I'll get to the point. I want you to teach Uzumaki Naruto." The Hokage asked.

Although Danzo tried to hide it, he could see the surprise on his face. "I heard the boy recently joined the academy. Why remove him now?" Danzo asked.

Anger flashed in Hiruzens eyes "The academy teachers believe him to be the demon he holds. They are not teaching him properly. He has been given an apartment, but the civilians are doing anything they can to sabotage him. They won't allow him in their shops and don't even recognize his existence." Hiruzen shook his head "How it must feel…so much hatred and hostility…to be treated with an animosity so intense as to be annihilating…to have so many around you who would deny you even the right to exist..." Danzo nodded at the explanation, he knew that the boy was seen as the demon he held by a large portion of the civilians and shinobi, it was something that disgusted him, the boys enormous potential was being wasted.

There was another question that needed to be asked. "Of all the shinobi under your command, why do you want me to teach him? I have requested to train him before and you refused my request. Even when I promised you I was not going turn him in to a mindless weapon." They hadn't been seeing eye to eye for a long time after all, and this was the kind of favor that would take years of work and dedication.

"The truth is, even after all the shit we have been through and all the disagreements we had in the past, you're the closest thing to a friend I got. What the fuck does that even say about me? To have an old bastard like you as my best friend?" The Hokage replied.

A smirk appeared on Danzo's face. "I will teach the boy what it means to be a Konoha shinobi." The old Hokage nodded after which he took a deep breath "Before you leave there is something else I like to discuss. This all may seem sudden but I have been walking around with this for a few months. I have realized my leadership has been lacking since I retook the position of Sandaime Hokage. The loss of Biwako and Minato, I was lost in my grief it blinded me of my shortcomings it made me weak. Those snakes in the civilian council have been using there power for their own benefit, and because of my weakness our shinobi forces never recuperated like they should have after the Kyuubi's attack."The Hokage took a deep breath before continuing " I know I'm the one to blame for allowing this to happen. But I'm not going to stand on the sidelines while they destroy our village any longer. Even if I don't agree with many of your views at least you have always been honest with me Danzo."

A smile appeared on Danzo's face. "What are you planning Hiruzen?"

Once upon a time he was feared in all the elemental nations as the God of shinobi it was time to remind them who they were dealing with. "These backstabbing traitors Danzo. I've been betrayed and deceived from the very moment I retook my position as Sandaime Hokage. When I was at my weakest they took advantage of me and our village. This is a monstrous betrayal of Konoha, those who are guilty of this treachery shall drown in their own blood like everyone who betrays Konohagakure." The old man spoke with a conviction Danzo hadn't seen in the man in decades. For the first time in many years he believed Konoha would be alright.

Danzo stood and bowed deep for his kage "It seems the Kami no Shinobi has returned. I will stand beside you Hiruzen. I will help you rebuild Konoha in the image of our predecessors." It was a meeting between rivals that would change everything.

-xxx-

The investigation on the civilian council had taken four months. The betrayal ran much deeper than they expected. "Please tell me the highlights of your investigation Ibiki-kun." The Hokage asked while the scarred Jounin handed the 140 page file to the Hokage.

"As you wish Hokage-sama. Of the eighteen members of the civilian council seven have been found guilty of High Treason. They have been found guilty of arranging multiple murders, money laundering, stealing public funds, corruption, election fraud, and even selling secrets to other villages the list goes on and on. They will be allowed to perform seppuku, if they are uncooperative they will be restrained and decapitated as stated in section 24AA of Konohagakure's Crime act. The other councilors have used their power for minor offences and will be punished accordingly, property's and funds have been confiscated and they have all been stripped of their rank." Ibiki said his face emotionless as always.

The Hokage seemed to be in deep thoughts and took another puff from his pipe before he spoke "The _Konohagakure Jōhōbu (_**Konoha Intelligence Division** ) has been meticulous in its investigation. You and your division have done Konoha a great service Ibiki-kun this will not be forgotten. Schedule the executions for tomorrow at noon, as for those who are uncooperative, I will take care of them personally" The scarred man swallowed as the Hokage's eyes met his.

He bowed in respect for his leader "As you wish Hokage-sama. By your leave?" A wave of the Sandaime's hand approved his dismissal and in a puff of smoke he was gone. The council was taken care of but there was much to be done still, at least if the massive pile of paperwork on his desk was any indication.

"You seem busy sensei" A familiar voice spoke shaking the old Kage out of his deep thoughts "I didn't expect you so soon Jiraiya. It's good to see you." His student looked older, Minato's dead must have gotten to him. It was to be expected Minato was like a son to him after all.

"What is so important to take me away from my precious research sensei?" Jiraiya asked. The old man shook his head maybe he hadn't changed at all.

"Please close the door and take a seat we have a lot to discuss especially regarding your godson." He could see his former student tense at the mention of his godson. Jiraiya wanted to take Naruto with him or at least stay in Konoha until Naruto could fend for himself. The council didn't allow it, they needed his intelligence network more than ever after Minato's dead and letting the Kyuubi leave the village was out of the question.

The old Hokage spent two hours explaining everything that happened in the last five years, there was no sugar coating and Jiraiya had taken it better then he expected.

"After everything you told me, you still expect me to leave my godson in Konoha?" Jiraiya asked in disbelieve.

The Hokage took another puff from his pipe "For the last four months Naruto has been living with a new sensei. The very same man that taught you the basics of sealing and prepared you for the chuunin exams while I was training Orochimaru."

The toad sage's eyes widened as a shiver ran down his spine. That was something he would never forget. He had begged Danzo to train him for the chuunin exams when Sarutobi turned him down in favor of Orochimaru. The man's training methods where vicious, he could still remember the words spoken to him by Danzo while he lay on the floor bruised and beaten barely able to stay conscious "_The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead Jiraiya. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a shinobi is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. The survival of Konoha depends upon it."_ The training was brutal but very effective it pushed him to the next level. It was Danzo that helped him unleash the potential deep within him. If anything, Naruto would become strong under Danzo's tutelage, and with Danzo looking after him he should at least be safe.

"I would like to train him myself but I know that's not possible, I know I'm still needed outside of the village. When the time comes I want him to sign the toad contract, he is my godson after all" Jiraiya said. The old Hokage nodded, the request was modest and acceptable.

"I have a mission for you Jiraiya, I need you to write a rapport on the military capability of Iwagakure and Kumogakure. They are still a serious threat to our village, and since our information is outdated we need to know where we stand if war becomes a reality." Jiraiya sighed " You know what this means sensei, I will have to delay the release of my new book."

A true smile appeared on Sarutobi's face, as perverted has his former student may be, Jiraiya was the one that always came through for Konoha.

-xxx-

"Hokage-sama I understand you have a mission for me?" The young chuunin asked while entering the Sandaime's office.

"Aah, Naruto-kun good to see you my boy. Yes I have an assignment. You will be joining Hatake Kakashi on a B-ranked mission." The young blond lifted his eyebrows, why would Hatake Kakashi be sent on a B-rank? The man was a legend, sending that man on a B-rank was preposterous.

"You are still easy to read Naruto. You think I have gone senile sending a shinobi of Kakashi's caliber on a simple B-ranked mission. The thing is, The person requesting this mission is the Daimyo's wife, Madame Shinji." The Hokage said.

That explained everything, the Daimyo would not demand the Hokage to sent their best, but he would expect it, not doing so would be a grave insult.

"I understand Hokage-sama, when do we leave?" Naruto asked.

The Hokage took another puff from his precious tobacco "You will leave in two hours at the west gate, be sure to pack for at least two weeks."

The young chuunin nodded "Thank you for the opportunity Hokage-sama. I will not disappoint you." He didn't ask why the Hokage deemed it necessary to sent him to act as Kakashi's partner for a B-rank mission. The man sure as hell didn't need one, knowing the Hokage this was purely for his benefit. Working with someone like Kakashi would definitely be a good learning experience and getting in the good graces of the Daimyo was nice bonus as well.

On the other side of Konoha near training ground three the twenty nine year old Elite Jounin Hatake Kakashi sighed as he stared at the memorial stone. He would meet with Sensei's son in two hours to go on a B-ranked mission. He knew he would run in to the boy sooner or later but this came unexpected, besides what the Hokage told him didn't make the mission any easier. The Hokage was worried about Naruto because six days ago an ANBU squad passing through the forest reported demonic chakra being used inside the Forest.

The Hokage had not given Naruto a teacher after entering the shinobi ranks because he wanted Naruto to have more of a social life. He believed that without a teacher and some missions to keep him busy Naruto would put a hold on his constant training and focus on missions, giving him a chance to finally make some friends. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way, even without guidance Naruto trained and studied day and night. Now the Hokage had as much as ordered him to spy on his sensei's son. He couldn't even blame the man, training with the Nine-Tails chakra without any form of supervision was extremely dangerous. Then again the Hokage chose not to give Naruto any supervision, of course Naruto would continue to train in order to become stronger. How could he fault the boy for something he himself had done as well? Creating the Chidori nearly cost him his life both in training and when he went against his teachers advise to use the technique in battle.

The mission was very straightforward, Madame Shinji's cousin was robbed by a group of bandits near the border of the land of rivers. During the robbery her cousin was beaten severely, he would more than likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. The border area was far from safe, something her cousin was aware of but he had foolishly chosen not to hire shinobi protection, something he would probably regret for the rest of his life. The Fire Daimyo could not let this slide, it would be seen as a sign of weakness and in his position that was unacceptable.

The bandits had taken refuge in an abandoned house six miles from the border. It didn't take long to find them and now they were patiently watching them from the foliage.

"So do you have any ideas on how to take them out?" The copy-nin asked his young partner. His eye never leaving the target house.

"I could use one of my sealing tags with paralytic gas. If I place it inside the house the gas will kill them all under a minute." The young chuunin replied while showing a sealing tag twice the size of an explosive note.

"Very well, we will wait until most of them are sleeping then you can go in." Kakashi replied.

It was easy to sneak into the house under the cover of darkness, most of the bandits seemed to be sleeping only few were in the kitchen playing cards, he could hear the wood crack as a bandit moved down the stairs in to the hall. The moment the man's back was turned a kunai entered the man's throat. Naruto had learned this at a young age, attack from the shadows without hesitation and without as much as a sound. He quickly placed his seal on the wall in the main hall, the paralytic poison would spread quickly they wouldn't know what hit them.

"The seal has been placed, I will activate it by your order." The blond said while eyeing his superior, the blood from his first victim still dripping from his hands. A simple nod was all he was given as he formed a single handseal, effectively releasing the poison in the house.

"A poison like that is hard to come by in Konoha. Did you make it yourself?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto shook his head "I didn't invent the poison, but I reproduced it. The poison originates from Amegakure." Naruto took a deep breath before continuing "During the second world war this poison was effectively used against Konoha. Fortunately after two weeks of research and testing Senju Tsunade made an antidote. In order to test her antidote she created more of the poison, this process was well documented and available in the Konoha Archive." Kakashi nodded at the explanation.

"The cool thing about it is how Tsunade-sama reproduced it. You see, the poison was made by removing a substance called Saxitoxin from a specific shellfish and enhancing the toxicity with chakra. Unfortunately these shellfish don't live anywhere in the land of fire, according to the records at that time they only lived in a swamp 30 miles north of Amegakure. Without the source of the poison making an antidote is nearly impossible" Naruto left a moment of silence before continuing."At that point I would have given up. Fortunately for Konoha Tsunade didn't give up. And in a moment of brilliance she found the only other place to have these shellfish, the swamp in training area 44, the Forest of Death, The ingredient for the antidote was in our own backyard all along."

Kakashi chuckled at the young chuunins enthusiasm "Well she is part of the legendary Sannin. All three of them are geniuses in their field of expertise." Naruto nodded in agreement.

"The poison should be cleared by now. Lets clear the house from the bodies and burn them." Kakashi said while walking towards the house.

It took thirty minutes for Naruto and his Kage Bunshin clones to clear the house, they found eighteen bodies. Two of which were located in the basement, they were the original owners of the house, an old couple laying in a pool of blood, their throats were cut, their bodies slowly decaying like pieces of garbage.

Naruto cursed under his breath as he finished digging a grave to give the old couple a proper burial. His lazy partner was busy reading one of his perverted books, he had to give the man credit though, he was very effective, he finished his part of the job by incinerating the remains of the bandits with single high level fire technique.

" Madame Shinji was definitely right about one thing." Naruto said while placing a large stone on the old couple's grave.

Kakashi turned his head. "What?" He asked.

Naruto pointed towards the smoldering remains of the bandits. "Those bastards are all better off dead." Naruto replied.

Kakashi shrugged "Can't argue with that." after which he continue to read his erotic literature.

-xxx-

"I didn't expect you back this soon Kakashi" The Hokage said while eyeing the infamous copy-nin.

"Well I didn't think I would be back either but Naruto has great endurance, he easily kept up with me all the way to the border, so we travelled much faster than I anticipated" The Hokage nodded.

"So what did you think of him?" the Hokage asked.

Kakashi shrugged "He reminds me of myself when I was his age. Obsessed with training, much more mature then his peers and very professional. Fortunately he is a lot more sociable then I was at that age."

"He has no friends to speak of Kakashi, I wouldn't call him sociable." The old kage replied.

Kakashi shook his head in disagreement "You are right he has no friends, but he is not like other children. The civilians treat him as if he has the plague, they don't violate your law but they sure as hell despise him and make sure to remind him of it at any chance they get. It's no wonder he spends so much time in the Forest of Death, compared to the way he is treated in the village, the forest is probably like sanctuary."

The Hokage sighed, he knew Naruto was treated badly but hearing someone else say it made it that much more painful "What of his skills as a shinobi?" he asked asked.

"We spoke quite a bit about his skills as a shinobi and about his training. He believes his Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and stealth are Jounin level and I believe he might be right about that. He also told me he can't use genjutsu because of his massive chakra reserves, so in order to be well rounded he started using and creating poisons." At this the Hokage lifted his eyebrows "He seems to be quite the fan of your former student Tsunade and her work on poisons during the second world war." Kakashi continued "As to what he actually showed me, I haven't sparred with him yet but during the mission he used Kage Bunshin and he showed me a Fuuton technique called _Fuuton Shinkuha_, I wouldn't like being on the receiving end of that one." Kakashi replied.

The Hokage chuckled, that was one of Danzo's favorite techniques after all it was not surprising Naruto would use it as well "I have a new assignment for you, a new batch of Genins has graduated the academy. You will have two of them under your care Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke failing them will not be an option." The Hokage said.

"I would like Naruto to join my team as well, he has no sensei and I wouldn't mind having him on my team." The Hokage grabbed a brown folder from his desk and handed it to Kakashi.

"I'm sorry Kakashi that won't be possible, another shinobi has been selected to join your team. As soon as Jiraiya returns Naruto will be placed under his tutelage. You will find the information on your third team member in the folder." Kakashi nodded in agreement, not that he had much choice in the matter.

"As you wish Hokage-sama. By your leave?" After a small nod Kakashi walked out of the office.

-xxx-

It was only nine days but it felt like an eternity, border patrol was a real bitch, and he would have to stay on the border for another six days. The money was alright though and he sure as hell needed more money. Fortunately he had a nice teammate this time.

"Naruto wake your ass up and get your gear I want to eat lunch at the valley." His teammate said while standing over her sleeping teammate.

"Alright Hana, I didn't think you would make your move so quickly. But if you want a romantic lunch I'm game." A drowsy Naruto said while gathering his gear to move out.

"Ow shut the hell up! You are even more obnoxious then my little brother if that is humanly possible." The inuzuka replied.

Naruto chuckled "I'll take that as a compliment." One off the Haimaru brothers barked in agreement.

"Now even my own ninken are turning against me!" Hana replied. Naruto couldn't help but laugh even louder.

Just as they were about to leave camp a red flare lit up the sky five miles west of their position, this could only mean one thing, one of the border patrol teams was in trouble. The young Inuzuka was the quick to react "That position can only be Kisuke's team let's move quickly!"

Naruto didn't respond but started to move in the direction of the flare immediately it was only a few miles and they would be there in a few minutes.

"I smell a lot of blood, be on guard this could be a trap." Hana said her eyes taking in every detail atound her.

Naruto nodded "I'll sent in one of my Kage Bunshin first." Naruto replied while quickly forming a Kage Bunshins that moved in to the clearing.

"It's safe let's move in!" Naruto said to his teammate.

One of the chuunin was nearly cut in half by a Fuuma shuriken and lay dead on the forest floor his guts and blood all over the area. His teammate was bleeding badly but was still alive. His voice was soft as he spoke to Hana "Traitor.. Mizuki has scroll of seals..tell my wife..i..i.." It was the last thing he said before losing consciousness.

"We have to get that scroll back, it holds many secrets of Konoha we can't let it fall in our enemy's hands!" Hana said while eyeing Naruto.

"You know medical techniques Hana, you must try to stabilize him, I won't let this traitor get away." Naruto replied. She knew Naruto was right besides more back up was going to show up at any moment, Naruto just need to stall Mizuki until they arrived.

"Alright you go on ahead be carefull Naruto." She said while trying to stop the chuunin from bleeding to dead.

Naruto moved as fast as he could he knew he was gaining on the man. Mizuki was running all the way from Konoha, there was no way he was going to reach the border before Naruto would catch up to him.

Naruto quickly jumped to the side barely avoiding the five shuriken Mizuki threw at him from a hidden position.

"Look at that, this must be my lucky day. Not only do I steal the scroll of seals successfully I also get to kill the demon, what a treat." The traitorous chuunin said, he was standing on tree branch the Scroll of Seals safely strapped to his back.

"Mizuki I presume? A traitor like you dares to call me a demon?" Naruto asked.

A victorious smirk appeared on Mizuki's face "Do you know why everyone in the village hates you? You see, on the day you were born.." Naruto interrupted Mizuki's speech with a chuckle.

"You really think I don't know I'm a Jinchuuriki? Alright I'll humor you." Naruto said while leaning against a large tree "Tell me I'm everything you despise. That I'm the personification of evil. That I'm a one-man genocide, a true demon. Say everything you want to say to me. But you better tell me quickly because you don't have much time left to live."

Mizuki's face turned to a snarl "You think you can defeat me? You have seen what I did to those who tried to stop me. It is futile to put up any resistance against me, in the end you will die!" Mizuki said while quickly grabbing a Fuuma shuriken which he launched towards Naruto.

The accuracy and strength where admirable but the attack was to linear to have any effect. Naruto quickly moved out of the way and started forming hand seals of his own while filling his lungs with air "_Fuuton: Shinkuha"_ The deadly blade of wind moved extremely fast and cut right through the tree Mizuki was standing on, unfortunately the chuunin had used a quick Kawarimi to avoid his early demise.

Mizuki landed on the forest floor and quickly grabbed a kunai, his eyes narrowed as red chakra started to take shape around the young jinchuuriki, the ancient demonic chakra placing a pressure on him he hadn't felt since he first met Orochimaru.

"I believe you told me that it was "futile" to put up resistance Mizuki? That there was nothing I could do? Allow me to correct you somewhat. The situation in which you find yourself right now, that is what I call "futile"!"

Mizuki swallowed as his bladder emptied itself, he was frozen in his own body, forced to watch as a red blur descended upon him. He finally regained his bearings as Naruto stood right in front of him, when he looked down he followed the arm that extended from his chest, his blood freely leaking from his body, his eyes showed nothing but terror as his soul was embraced by the shinigami.

Naruto stared at his bloodied arm as the kyuubi's chakra receded back in to the seal, he quickly grabbed the scroll from the traitors back and placed it on his own. He turned around as someone jumped in to the clearing followed by three ninken.

"Naruto, thank god you are alright. I was worried sick when I felt that powerful chakra" Hana said, her voice filled with worry.

Naruto lifted his eyebrows "You were worried about little old me? There is no denying it now, you are in to me!" Naruto replied a smirk on his face.

"Ow shut the hell up!" Hana said while looking at Mizuki's body. There was no question as to what killed the man since there was a fist sized hole in his chest.

"About that powerful chakra you felt. You know that I am a jichuuriki right?" The blond asked; receiving a small nod "I used the Kyuubi's chakra to take that traitor out. He didn't stand a chance against me with that power!" Naruto said while petting one of the Haimaru triplets.

Hana shrugged "As long as the bastard is dead I don't care how you did it. I stabilized Kisuke and he is going to make it, team five and six are moving him back to Konoha as we speak. We will remain here until we are relieved by another team. You did well Naruto the Hokage will be pleased." A true smile appeared on Naruto's face, maybe border duty wasn't that bad after all.

To be continued


	2. Show me the money

The Hokage looked up from his paperwork as a Chuunin named Shimon entered his office.

"Hokage-sama, our patrols have found two unconscious Chuunin level missing-nin five miles south of the village. They were tied to a tree by chakra enhanced wire. Two members of ANBU team Delta performed an on location interrogation. The two man are known as the Demon Brothers of Kirigakure. According to the information we extracted, they attacked Kakashi's team in order to kill the bridge builder Tazuna. We are still interrogating them and hope to have more information within two hours." The Chuunin member of the Konoha Intelligence Division said while bowing his head to his Kage.

"Thank you Shimon if the information is correct it is highly probable team 7 will face a Jounin next. That would change the rank of this mission to an A-Rank." The Hokage said while contemplating the situation "Considering the fact that Kakashi has not returned to Konoha, we can assume he is continuing this mission. He sure as hell is reckless enough to do something that idiotic." He continued. "For now sent Uzumaki Naruto as backup tell him to only interfere if necessary. If you have any new information inform me immediatly." He spoke, a wave of his hand dismissing the Chuunin.

"Hai Hokage-sama." The Chuunin replied before disappearing in a _shunshin_.

-xxx-

It didn't take long for Naruto to catch up with Team 7 and their charge Tazuna. They were moving at the pace of a drunken fifty year old civilian after all. He made sure to keep a large enough distance to avoid detection by Kakashi. He trailed them for two hours until he felt a sudden spike in chakra.

He watched from a hidden position as Kakashi's team was confronted by a former Kirigakure Jounin called Momochi Zabuza. He had heard of this man before, he was once a member of Kirigakure's elite unit, the seven swordsman of the mist.

It was clear that Zabuza had chosen the ambush location with great care. There was enough cover for a surprise attack and a body of water giving a master Suiton user a great advantage in battle.

Naruto could only watch in awe at the level Kakashi and Zabuza where fighting. They were constantly thinking three steps ahead, countering clone technique with clone technique. He was confident in his skills as a shinobi, but if he would have to fight Zabuza head on he would surely end up dead. He wouldn't stand a chance even if he relied on the Kyuubi's chakra, this man was way out of his league.

Naruto cursed under his breath as Kakashi was captured in a water prison by Zabuza. He needed to free Kakashi from the water prison or Zabuza would kill the Genin and then Kakashi.

He quickly made a _Kage Bunshin_ that moved around the clearing to Zabuza's blind spot, his clone would create a diversion and force Zabuza to release the prison.

Naruto's _Kage Bunshin_ shot out of the tree line as fast as he could reaching Zabuza in an instance. The clone jumped up performing a spinning kick aimed right at Zabuza's head. If he wouldn't know any better he would say Zabuza had eyes in the back of his head, as the man used his free arm to block the attack, after which he quickly retaliated with a vicious kick turning the clone to a puff of smoke.

This diversion gave the real Naruto enough time to jump in to action from his hiding spot, as he launched a _Futon enhanced shuriken_ towards the missing-nin. Who quickly released the water prison and twisted his body to avoid being cut in half by the shuriken. Although this manoeuvre saved his life, the _Futon enhanced shuriken_ left a deep gash in the man's side.

Danzo had once told him that experienced fighters developed a sixth sense for danger. As to what he had just seen Momochi Zabuza do? The man seemed to have a sixth, a seventh and an eight.

"Who the hell are you?" Zabuza asked while holding his side to stop the bleeding. His eyes focusing on the shinobi that just attacked him. He wasn't the only one, Kakashi's team was watching him intently as well.

"Don't worry about that for now Zabuza, your battle is with me, you will not leave here alive." Kakashi replied the water still falling from his body.

"I don't think so Kakashi. I'm not foolish enough to continue fighting you in this condition. But don't think this is over either! I will be back and next time both you and that bridge builder will die by my hand."Zabuza said before leaving in a shunshin.

"Nice timing Naruto. It would have been bad if..."Kakashi didn't finish his sentence as he fell face forward in to the ground.

"It's good to see you Naruto-sempai." The pale black haired Genin said while turning to face the young chuunin.

"It's good to see you as well Sai. It's been a while since I have seen you I didn't even know you were part of Kakashi's team" He said while walking towards the unconscious Jounin.

"I don't mean to be rude but who are you exactly?" The pink haired Genin asked. Her hands still shaking from the battle.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto the Hokage sent me as your back-up for this mission." Naruto replied while making a courteous bow. "And you are?" He asked while watching the other two members of team 7.

" Haruno Sakura" She replied while turning to her dark haired teammate.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke" The other teammate said.

"With the pleasantries out of the way let's continue to Tazuna's house. I think Kakashi-sempai has mild chakra exhaustion, he needs to rest for a few days. Sai you take the first shift carrying Kakashi-sempai." Naruto said immediately taking control of the situation.

" Hai Naruto-sempai." His former sparring partner replied while lifting the copy-nin from the ground.

-xxx-

Naruto sighed as he watched over the lake behind Tazuna's house. He knew that Zabuza was wounded and wouldn't be able to fight for at least three days. What he didn't know however was how quickly Kakashi would recover from his chakra exhaustion. What if Zabuza attacked before Kakashi was recovered? He was strong, even by chuunin standards, but Zabuza would kill them. That did make his decision easier, if Kakashi didn't wake up by noon, he would have to take action himself.

Naruto closed his eyes as he sat on top of the lake behind Tazuna's house. Channeling a small amount of kyuubi's charka through different parts of his body. A chakra exercise Danzo-sensei taught him to improve his control over the Nine-Tails chakra. The warm chakra also helped him to relax his tense muscles.

Although his eyes were closed he knew he was being watched. Before he could speak he heard a young voice.

"Why do you do that?" Inari the bridge builders grandson asked.

Naruto kept his eyes closed as he spoke. "Because there's something bad inside of me. This keeps it from getting out."

Inari narrowed his eyes "Why can't you just be nice?" The boy asked.

Naruto chuckled "Because the world isn't nice. Now let me meditate peacefully for another thirty minutes and I'll show you some cool shinobi tricks!" The kid was even more annoying than Konohamaru.

Tazuna had told him the source of all their problems was a man named Gatou the owner of Gatou corporation the largest transport corporation in the elemental nations. He had effectively destroyed the resistance in wave by killing everyone that stood in his path to power. This included Tazuna's son in law Kaiza who had gone up against Gatou. The shipping magnate had made a example out of Kaiza by executing him publicly, something he would soon come to regret. He would cut the head of the snake, the man known as Gatou would be dead before midnight.

According to Tazuna not everyone resisted Gatou's dictatorship. A local fisherman named Toshiro had joined Gatou and was now one of his thugs.

Naruto looked from the side of the street as he watch the dark haired traitor walk towards him. The traitor walked as if he owned the street, his head health high his sword hanging loosely by his side. This guy had betrayed his people by serving Gatou. And for what? To get a little more money while others starved to dead? Today his treachery would catch up to him. And he would regret ever getting in bed with the devil.

"What the hell are you looking at idiot?" the traitor asked; immediately placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Naruto's mouth turned in to a smirk. "Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with?" The man was on his knee's before he could reply. "That's me." Naruto said, his voice no more than a whisper in the man's ear.

"Geez, You did you have to hit him that hard Naruto-sempai?" Sakura said while Naruto was busy tying the traitor on to a chair.

"Well he did call me an idiot." Naruto replied an innocent smile on his face.

"Sakura, why don't you guard our perimeter while Naruto and I deal with this guy." Sasuke said while throwing a bucket of cold water in the unconscious man's face.

"You tied me up. What the hell is going on here?" The traitor said while struggling to free himself.

"Let me tell you what is going on. We want you to tell us everything about Gatou and his operation. Where he sleeps, where he works, how many man he has under his command, what his plans are and even how he likes his damn coffee." Naruto took a deep breath before he continued. "Look you have betrayed your people but we are willing to give you one chance to wipe the slate clean, give you a fresh start. All that we're asking in return is your cooperation in bringing Gatou to justice. Now just tell us everything we want to know" Naruto said while using his most intimidating voice.

"Have you lost your mind? You are just a kid! I'm not telling you anything!" The traitor replied while spitting in Naruto's face.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the traitor. "A kid? I am the shadow, the smoke in your eyes, the ghosts that hide in the night. I'm a shinobi!" Naruto replied as his fist broke the man's nose.

"Please don't kill me, I have a family" The traitor said, tears rolling from the man's eyes.

"It's a little late for that now. You could have cooperated but you refused, so why shouldn't I kill you? Besides I despise traitors. For me, you're somewhere between a cockroach and that white stuff that accumulates at the corner of your mouth when you're really thirsty." Naruto replied.

Naruto nodded to Sasuke who immediately grabbed a kunai from his pouch.

"Now give me the information I want, or my friend here will force feed you your own eyeballs." Naruto said while pointing to Sasuke.

The man spilled his guts to the young shinobi giving them all the information they needed and more. Apparently the traitor had given Gatou a list with the names and addresses of people who spoke of taking action against Gatou. He was the reason Kaiza and many others were killed by Gatou.

"What are we going to do with him?" The young Uchiha asked. While looking at the unconscious traitor.

"We kill him and leave him to rot" Naruto replied as he used a syringe to inject one of his chemical solutions in to the traitors bloodstream. The man's body shook uncontrollably for a few seconds before he stopped moving all together.

"What did you do to him?" Sasuke asked his eyes never leaving the traitors dead body.

"I used a combination solution of barbiturate, paralytic and potassium to kill him. It's very effective as you can see. Civilians use this solution as a form of execution." Naruto replied receiving an understanding nod from the young Uchiha.

-xxx-

Tazuna placed a map of the area on the kitchen table as the four young shinobi ate Tsunami's delicious soup.

" We can't wait for Gatou to strike, we should act tonight." Naruto said while watching his teammates.

" Shouldn't we wait for Kakashi-sensei to wake up?" Sakura asked while taking another bite of her bread.

" We don't know when Kakashi-sensei will wake up. I think Naruto is right, we must strike before Zabuza gets the chance to attack us." Sasuke replied.

"What do you think Sai?" Naruto asked his former sparring partner.

"We will not be able to stop Zabuza if he attacks us before Kakashi is ready to fight. I think we should just go back to Konoha. But since I know you won't do that. Killing Gatou is our only viable option" Sai replied.

"Do we even have a plan? I mean, it doesn't have to be like Hashirama's siege of Taki, but some kind of plan would be nice." Sakura said while placing five explosive notes in her backpack.

Naruto nodded "Sai will stay here to guard Tazuna and Kakashi-sempai. The traitor told us Gatou's base is located here." Naruto said while pointing at Tazuna's map "The three of us will go there to take out Gatou's operation." Naruto continued " The traitor said Gatou is holding a group of teenage girls prisoner. He is going to ship and sell the girls to work in brothels somewhere in the Land of Rivers. Sakura your objective is to free them and bring them to safety." He then turned to Sasuke "Sasuke your objective is to see if there are any civilian prisoners left alive and bring them to safety. Make sure the guards won't be able to sound the alarm, we know Zabuza is not inside the base but we don't know if Zabuza is close. I will take care of Gatou personally" Naruto said.

Sasuke was not going to complain, had always been proud guy. The traitor they had interrogated said their where at least five bandits guarding the holding cells. And unlike Uzumaki Naruto he still had to make his first kill. This was the kind of mission he needed, this would take him one step closer to killing that bastard Itachi.

"Alright grab your gear and let's move out" Naruto said

"Well, you guys let me know how that killing Gatou goes." Tazuna replied taking yet another sip of his sake.

Naruto looked in to the window of Gatou's office to see the fat bastard working behind his desk. He slowly opened the window and stepped in to the office without making so much as a sound.

" Were you born as a fat piece of shit or did you have to work on it?" Naruto asked, before the man could scream a hand was placed on his mouth. The man tried to get out of the young shinobi's grip but it was useless, Naruto was to strong.

"I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth. Don't even think of moving a muscle. Your guards are already dead, screaming for help will only get you killed." Naruto whispered in the business man's ear.

Gatou knew he was dealing with a shinobi but when he saw the symbol on his headband the man panicked. " Please don't kill me! I didn't know the weapons I sold were going to be used against Konoha, I swear." Gatou stuttered.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, he didn't know what the man was talking about, but had a bad feeling about it. "Tell me more about these weapons you are talking about. And let me warn you if you don't answer fully and truthfully you will suffer." Naruto took out a kunai " because ill cut your fingers off. One by one, if I have to." Naruto said.

The fat business man nodded he was well aware what shinobi were capable of, he had been dealing with them for years after all.

"What do you want to know?" The business man stammered.

"I want to know when they are going to be used, who bought the weapons, how many weapons you sold and everything else you know." Naruto said.

"I sold them to a former Yakuza called Kobayashi, he told me he was once a part of the Yakuza in Tanzaku Gai. He moved his business to the Land Of Rice field after some incident. He has a bad limp in his right leg and a tattoo of a dragon in his neck. He's a complete bastard he hasn't even paid me yet." Gatou replied.

Naruto narrowed his eyes "Hidekatsu Kobayashi?" Naruto asked

Gatou's eyes widened "Yeah, you know him?" he replied

"Who did you think gave him the limp?" Naruto answered

Gatou was right about Kobayashi, he was a complete bastard. He encountered the man during a mission in Tanzaku Gai about 18 months ago. Kobayashi blackmailed a city official with a disturbing sex tape, he threatened to release the tape to the public if the man didn't give him the sealed documents he wanted. He asked Kobayashi to leave the Land Of Fire without any type of punishment because their couldn't be a trial. A trial would mean that the truth would come out. Which was not possible because the official was chosen by the Daimyo himself and that would bring shame to the Fire Lord. When the man respectfully refused and didn't respond positively to threats he was required to take more drastic measures. So he slammed a kunai in the man's kneecap and told him he was going to do the other one as well if he wouldn't be out of the Land Of Fire by nightfall. Needless to say, the man left the Land Of Fire immediately.

" Where and when are they going to be used?" Naruto asked. As he watched the sweat form on the fat business man's face.

" Let me open the vault I have all the details in there!" Gatou replied as he moved towards the large vault. When the vault door opened Naruto couldn't believe what he saw. Enough money and gold for a lifetime of luxury.

Naruto opened the folder and started to read aloud " Shuriken, Kunai these are shinobi weapons? this is.. this is enough for an army!" Naruto said in disbelieve.

"Now calm down, I didn't know it was going to be used against Konoha when I sold the weapons." Gatou said trying to calm the shinobi in his office.

"When did you deliver the weapons Gatou?" Naruto asked the tone of his voice demanding answers.

" They left the port four days ago, they should arrive in another two days" Gatou replied.

Whoever Kobayashi was working for was not going to pay Gatou. The man knows too much and he will probably be killed as soon as the weapons arrive. At least that is what I would do in this situation Naruto thought. Whoever is behind this can't know that Konoha has this information. Naruto's clones restrained Gatou as he made copies of every document he found in the vault, they were already going to be suspicious if Gatou was killed by a Konoha shinobi. He needed to make sure the original document was inside the vault if they decided to open it.

" I told you everything I know." Gatou pleaded sweat running down his face in fear.

" And I believe you Gatou. Unfortunately it's not going to safe you. You see nobody can know about our talk and about the documents I have taken from you. If it's any consolation ill make it quick!" Naruto replied as his kunai entered the man's chest killing him instantly.

He quickly placed the documents back in to the vault and was ready to close the vault when he hesitated. The vault was filled with money, gold and diamonds and he could really use more cash. He quickly grabbed half the money, a bag of diamonds and two golden bars leaving the rest in the vault as he closed it. Although it was illegal he sure as hell needed the money. Besides wasn't the saying 'to the victor go the spoils' Naruto shook his head, he needed to focus, shit was about to get serious.

As he arrived at the rendezvous point both Sakura and Sasuke where already there. " Where are the prisoners, Sakura?" Naruto asked.

" They were already transported to the Land of Rivers, at least that is what the bandit that was stationed there told me." Sakura answered. Naruto nodded, they probably transported them with the weapons he thought.

"You find any prisoners Sasuke?" Naruto asked the young Uchiha.

"They didn't keep anyone alive, at least that is what the man said that I interrogated" He replied his demeanor calm as always.

Naruto held up the folder he had stolen from Gatou. "This folder contains information about a possible attack on Konoha, we have to make sure nobody knows that we have it." Naruto left a small pause before continuing" I suggest we make it look like Zabuza betrayed his master." He said.

" Possible attack on Konoha, What are you talking about?" Sakura asked

"I don't have time to explain, we need to do this quickly before anyone else realizes we are here. Did you two leave anyone alive that has seen you or your headband?" Naruto asked.

" The barracks held five bandits, all of them are taken care of." Sasuke replied Naruto nodded at the explanation as he turned to Sakura.

" Did you kill the bandits you encountered Sakura?" Naruto asked. She couldn't meet his eyes and stared to the ground as she spoke. "There was only one of them and I knocked him out. Can't we just like, tell him not to tell anyone about seeing us or something?" Sakura asked.

Naruto sighed " Listen to me Sakura, this is a treat to Konoha, a treat of war. In order to change the odds in our favor we have to do anything in our power to keep this information secret. I will not order you to finish him if you don't want to. But if you don't want any blood on your hands you should quit being a shinobi, and choose a different profession." Naruto replied as tears formed in the pink haired kunoichi's eyes.

" That was harsh Naruto, not everyone is like us, I'll take care of him" Sasuke said trying to lift the girls spirit.

"Place these explosive notes on the bodies Sasuke. We will destroy any evidence of our presence here." Naruto said while handing Sasuke some explosive notes.

" How can you do it Naruto-sempai? Taking a human life so easily." Sakura asked.

Naruto placed the document in his backpack. "I am required to kill, so I kill. That is enough." He replied clearly not wanting to speak more about the subject.

Sakura was glad to be back in Tazuna's house. She knew what was necessary to be a shinobi. Her heart however wasn't ready to accept the reality she was experiencing this mission. Although they just got back Naruto and Sasuke had already left the house. She knew he and Sasuke where up to something but she didn't even want to know. She wanted to go home and forget this mission ever happened.

" So what are you planning now Naruto?" Sasuke asked wondering what his teammate had in store for him.

"Have you ever played poker Sasuke?"Naruto asked while not even bothering to wait for his teammates answer. "I'm going to bluff Zabuza in leaving Nami no Kuni" Naruto said while creating a clone with the _Kage Bunshin technique_. " The _Kage Bunshin technique_ is an excellent spying technique. When one of my clones is dispersed the knowledge the clone has gained will return to the creator. I'm going to use a clone to meet Zabuza-san. And I will warn him for Kirigakure hunter-nins coming his way" Naruto said.

Sasuke's eyes widened, one thing became very clear during this mission. He was still very far away from Jounin level, and just the thought of meeting Zabuza gave him a shiver down his spine.

Finding Zazuba would have been a real problem, if he didn't have a map that is. Gatou's vault was filled with treasures it seemed. As his clone made his way to the building Zabuza was hiding in, a barrage of senbons landed right in front of him.

" Don't make a move, or I'll kill you where you stand!" the masked shinobi stated while holding a kunai.

" Please, I am just a clone. I came to talk, you must have heard the explosions?" Naruto replied.

The hunter-nin moved behind the clone " Start moving, Zabuza-sama is inside" He said in a demanding matter.

" You got guts gaki, coming in to the demons lair!" Zabuza's booming voice said as he locked eyes with the clone.

"I'm not stupid enough to come here myself Zabuza-san. I am only a clone, I have something for you." Naruto said as he placed a large sum of money on the table. " This is enough money for a S-rank mission. It is more then Gatou was going to pay you. And as you have probably realized, Gatou has been killed. We have informed Kirigakure about your location. In other words they will be here in a matter of hours." Naruto finished

" You are a real piece of work gaki. First you nearly cut me in half, then you kill my employer and now you tell me you told Kirigakure hunters where I am staying?" Zabuza said a rarely seen smile forming on his face.

"Well I'm here to bring you money, and warn you that they are coming for you. You will be long gone before they get here. That should count for something." Naruto replied.

"Yes, but why would you do that? You could have just waited for the hunter-nins to show up." Zabuza replied.

The clone chuckled "What can I say, it could be useful to have an ' I owe you one' from one of the seven swordsman of the mist." He answered Zabuza just frowned.

"So what is your name Konoha Chuunin?" The demon of the mist asked.

" My name is Uzumaki Naruto, at your service" Naruto replied while saluting the former Kiri jounin.

" Well Uzumaki it was a pleasure doing business with you. It seems we have to be leaving, Haku pack our stuff!" The masked shinobi immediately left the room to pack their belongings.

" Well I'll be seeing you Zabuza-san!" The clone said while disappearing in a puff of smoke.

" Uzumaki Naruto, that's a name I'll have to remember" Zabuza said before trying to get his wounded body to leave the bed.

-xxx-

" So let me get this straight you killed Gatou, bluffed Zabuza in to leaving the country and uncovered a possible plot against Konoha?" The still drowsy Kakashi asked

"That's about it, but it wasn't just me we did it together." Naruto replied

" Do you know how dangerous it is to go up against someone like Zabuza? They are still greenhorn Genins!" Kakashi replied

"Dangerous? You should have gone back to Konoha the minute you defeated the Demon Brothers! The Hokage is pissed as hell you just wait until he hears what happened during this mission. I really wouldn't want to be you during that meeting." Naruto said while trying to keep a straight face.

"Well the Hokage doesn't have to know everything that happened. Right?" Kakashi asked trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Naruto lifted his eyes and laughed in response " We will see about that Kakashi-sempai! You already owe me for saving your ass."

Kakashi shrugged. "How did my team perform?" Kakashi asked subtly changing the topic.

"Both Sasuke and Sai did well, I think they are both Chuunin material. Princess Haruno however I am not sure if she is in the right profession." Naruto replied.

Kakashi could only nod in agreement, she was still childish and being a shinobi was not for the light hearted. He hoped this mission was an eye opener for her. In the life of a shinobi there is no middle ground you either kill or be killed. She would have to make a choice before they went on another mission outside of the village.

"I need to get back to Konoha as soon as possible Kakashi-sempai. The Hokage needs to see this intel as soon as possible." Naruto said while getting of his chair.

"You are right. With Zabuza gone and Gatou dead the mission is as good as over. We only need to watch out for Gatou's henchman for now. My team can handle that until the bridge is finished. Thank you for your help Naruto I really appreciate it. I wouldn't know what had happened if you hadn't shown up when you did." Kakashi replied.

"Really Kakashi-sempai? You think you can manipulate me in changing the facts about the mission this easily?" Naruto replied

"You wound me Naruto? You really think I would be so underhanded to try and manipulate you to save my own hide?" Kakashi replied while smiling under his mask.

"Uhm..yes?" Naruto said while lifting his eyebrows.

"You are right.. It was worth the try though. Now go back to Konoha we will return as soon as the bridge is complete." Kakashi said while making dismissing movements with his hand.

Maybe I should turn missing-nin then I won't have to face the Hokage. I could spend all my time reading Icha Icha and drinking cocktails.

To be continued.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!


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